Clerk's Office issues reminder for residents enrolled in Vote By Mail
WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Ill. – Ahead of the upcoming Consolidated Election on April 4, 2023, the Winnebago County Clerk's Office reminds residents about the Vote By Mail process. The Clerk's Office will begin mailing out Vote By Mail ballots 40 days prior to Election Day, therefore registrants will begin to receive their ballot in the mail after February 23, 2023.
To receive a ballot through the mail, registered voters must first complete and submit a Vote By Mail (VBM) Application for either Permanent VBM Status or Single-Election VBM Status. Since 2022, Illinois law has allowed registered voters to place themselves on a Permanent VBM List to automatically receive their ballot in the mail. Registered voters who applied for the Single-Election VBM List must submit a Vote By Mail application for each election, as applications are only valid for that specific election. To fill out an application to Vote By Mail, please find the respective form on the Winnebago County Clerk's Office website.
If you receive a ballot in the mail but no longer wish to Vote By Mail, please notify the Winnebago County Clerk's Office in writing. You will automatically be removed from the list if you move outside of Winnebago County or if your status as a registered voter changes for another reason. Please notify the Winnebago County Clerk's Office about any change in your voter registration status.
"As a reminder, if you requested a permanent or single election Vote By Mail ballot, you are required to vote by mail rather than in-person," said Winnebago County Clerk Lori Gummow. "This not only helps to maintain the integrity of our election, but also prevents any additional burden for our election staff."
If you receive your mail ballot but would rather vote in-person, you must take it with you to an early voting site or your polling place on Election Day and surrender it to an election judge. Your mail ballot will be voided, and you will receive a new ballot.
To receive a ballot through the mail, registered voters must first complete and submit a Vote By Mail (VBM) Application for either Permanent VBM Status or Single-Election VBM Status. Since 2022, Illinois law has allowed registered voters to place themselves on a Permanent VBM List to automatically receive their ballot in the mail. Registered voters who applied for the Single-Election VBM List must submit a Vote By Mail application for each election, as applications are only valid for that specific election. To fill out an application to Vote By Mail, please find the respective form on the Winnebago County Clerk's Office website.
If you receive a ballot in the mail but no longer wish to Vote By Mail, please notify the Winnebago County Clerk's Office in writing. You will automatically be removed from the list if you move outside of Winnebago County or if your status as a registered voter changes for another reason. Please notify the Winnebago County Clerk's Office about any change in your voter registration status.
"As a reminder, if you requested a permanent or single election Vote By Mail ballot, you are required to vote by mail rather than in-person," said Winnebago County Clerk Lori Gummow. "This not only helps to maintain the integrity of our election, but also prevents any additional burden for our election staff."
If you receive your mail ballot but would rather vote in-person, you must take it with you to an early voting site or your polling place on Election Day and surrender it to an election judge. Your mail ballot will be voided, and you will receive a new ballot.
For more election information including Vote By Mail, early in-person voting, polling places and more, please visit the Winnebago County Clerk's website at clerk.wincoil.gov.
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